Tantras is a walled city north of Ravens Bluff and like Ravens Bluff benefits from the trade coming up from Procampur. It is a large, walled city that has recovered well from and even prospered after the Time of Troubles. A godly battle during that period resulted in the destruction of a large portion of the city, and left a very large permanent dead magic area that extends from the north of the city.

Tantras is ruled by its High Council, a collection of local noble merchant families plus the high priest of Torm. The Council provides an invisible government, concentrating mainly on tariffs and merchant laws and less on the thieves' guilds and adventurers (save when they start affecting the merchants). As a result, Tantras is a rollicking, wide-open town, with only the more severe breaches of courtesy and law bringing in the guard.

Tantras is dominated by the Temple of Torm's Coming, the center of Tormite activity on the Sea of Fallen Stars and that faith's largest temple. It was at Tantras that Torm perished defending his faith in a battle with Bane, creating the great dead magic area that lies over the northern city. The High Priest of Torm is Barriltar Bhandraddon (LG hm P19), and he is aided by 49 sub-priests. Torm's church is the most influential in the city, and Bhandraddon has a seat on the High Council.

However, the faith of Torm is very indulgent toward other religions, and there are temples of many other gods in the city, including Tempus, Lathander, Gond, Selûne, Milil, and Tymora, all with established priests of no less than 13^th level in power. In addition, shires to Lathander, Loviatar, Umberlee, and Cyric dot the city.

Tantras does have an effective thieves' guild, the Grayclaws, an organization of smugglers and thieves who tend to prey on newcomers and those native Tantrans who have gotten gloriously rich, smug, or unscrupulous. The Grayclaws keep a firm watch on their member activities, so that they do not run afoul of the High Council. The Grayclaws have to date defended their turf from various forces, including the Red Wizard's, the Zhentarim, slavers, the Harpers, and the Cult of the Dragon.

The combination of merchant-dominated politics, light rule, many priests, an active thieves' guild, and a large dead magic zone has made Tantras a haven for a large number of adventurers, including those who are currently unwanted by nearby Calaunt and Ravens Bluff. The dead magic zone is particularly good for those on the run from wizards, and many who have offended such groups as the Zhentarim and the Red Wizards of Thay have used Tantras as their bolt-hole.

Independent City

Who Rules: The High Council (the heads of 16 noble merchant families plus the High Priest of Torm).

Who Really Rules: Alliances among the old merchant noble houses, voting together at Council to arrange affairs to their liking. Current alliances are as follows (family surnames given): AldimerMathlin-Uruthkurt; Baraedin- Mithertul-Onsil-Naskurl; Channath-Elovear-Laranadda-Tithlin-Vandover.

Population: An estimated 69,000 year round, rising to 86,000 in summer (maximum comfortable housing capacity is 89,000).

Major Products: Fish (brought in by local fishermen and spiced, pickled, and barreled in the city for shipment across Faerun, as "Tantran finefish" - or, to those not fond of it, "silvermuck"), wagons, crates, locks, hardware (wrought iron), carved wooden casements, railings, and posts.

Armed Forces: The city is defended and policed by the Guard (who patrol in groups of 14, except in the harbor, where there are standing battery garrisons of 30 crossbowmen as well as the usual mobile patrols, under the command of the duty officer of the harbor). These are typically F1s suited in field plate decorated with the arms of the city (see below), armed with spears, short swords, and daggers. Officers (typically F5s) have maces, morning-stars, and short swords. Sergeants ("longswords") are F2s or F3s armed with long swords and maces instead of spears and short swords. There are about 900 guards in Tantras.

The Guard is headed by Lassalar Ormitar (LN hm F12), who is head of the Ormitar noble family and a member of the Council. The guard is directly accountable to the Council, but loyal to Lassalar, who is more practical than some merchant nobles when it comes to curtailing some of the freewheeling freedoms that all merchants want.

Tantras can field a militia reserve of 6,000 men and women, all Fl's. Most of these reservists have other jobs in the city, and are considered poor quality.

Notable Mages:

• Dhaerhaera Nanatar (CG hf W9), an adventuress who recently captured and tamed a griffon, which she often rides into the Vast in search of adventure. She is currently searching the ancient tombs and ruined strongholds of the elves and humans who shared the mountains with orcs and worse, when dwarves ruled all these lands - hoping to find lost magic, meeting with some success.
• Tarntassa (NG hf W16), a bronze-haired adventuress-mage immediately recognizable in the streets by her tall stature and long, long ponytail. She went to Waterdeep in the Time of Troubles, and has since returned to Tantras as a friend and ally of Khelben - and, secretly, of the Harpers, who are welcome at her Tower off Sandril's Lane, if they come quietly, by night.
• Zhundult "Stormhand" Ulblesk (CN hm W15), an aggressively private, dangerous, and possibly deranged man, who spends his time researching planar powers and conditions, and how these may be harnessed for use in destructive spells. Zhundult is known to have strange and deadly blasting spells at his command.

Notable Churches:

• The Temple of Torm's Coming, temple complex to Torm; High Priest Barriltar Bhandraddon (LG hm P19); 49 priests, 75 followers). Renamed since the Time of Troubles to reflect Torm's earthly appearance in the temple itself, this flourishing establishment leads the city's spiritual and social life. Parts of its main building are mapped and described in *FRE2.
• The House of Glory, temple of Tempus; High Battlemaster Thiotar Umbarton (CN hm P17); 16 priests, 22 followers;
• The Morning Halls, temple of Lathander; High Morninglord Alansyn Ambrilar (NG hm P14); 14 priests, 21 followers.
• The House of Skilled Hands, temple of Gond; High Artificer Eldorn Mindalar (N hm P16); 9 priests, 18 followers.
• The House of Moonlight, temple of Selune; High Priest Pellar Thalangrim (CG hm P14); 9 priests, 16 followers.
• The Happy House of Splendor and Song, temple of Milil; High Mistress of Song Elassuara Narithan (NG hf P14); 6 priests, 11 followers, all bards of levels 2 to 12.
• The House of Hope, temple of Tymora; High Priestess Lashaera Thindol (CG hf P13); 5 priests, 8 followers.
• Shrines to Lathander, Loviatar, Umberlee, and Waukeen.

Notable Rogues' and Thieves' Guilds:

"The Grayclaws" are an organization of smugglers and thieves who operate only against visitors and Tantran natives who have grown very rich, very arrogant, very unscrupulous, or all three. The Harpers are also strong in the city, under the local guidance of the Temple of Milil, but largely leave the Grayclaws alone - because the Greyclaws have very effectively fought off attempts by the Zhentarim, Dragon Cult, Red Wizards, and pirates of the Inner Sea (sponsored by Calishite slavers) to move into the city's underlife and take hold.

The Grayclaws are currently led by Amlithor Harlguss (CN hm T9) and Othniir Xalast (NE hm P(of Mask)11). Locally important Harpers include Felitarr "Flyingfingers" Wendilar (NG hm B16) and Deltara Dragynstarr (NG hf B9).

Equipment Shops: Full (partial in severe winters).

Adventurers' Quarters: Tantras is a busy trading port, with much coming and going from the Dragonreach (via ship) and the interior of the Vast. It has many inns, which welcome adventurers along with everyone else. These include:

• The Roaring Lion Inn, "the best in town" (excellent/expensive);
• The Weeping Wyvern, large and fairly new (good/expensive);
• The Green Sirene, favored by sailors (good/moderate);
• The Lazy Moon Inn, well-located and always busy (good/moderate);
• and Gulder's Good Grub Inn, cozy and usually full of regulars in all but the depths of winter (good/cheap).

Tantran inns tend to be quiet places where hard-working merchants can get a good sleep; noisy carousers are expected to go to a tavern at any time of the day, if they wish to revel. Tantras has a famous nightclub, the House of Twilight; a very good tavern, the Net of Stars; and an infamous, very wild tavern, the Silly Satyr.

There are others, which often open in small shops near the center of the city, appearing and disappearing with the changing fortunes of their owners.

Important Characters:

• Bhaeryta Chassendora (CN hf F5); a merchant specializing in rare and difficult-to-find substances used in magic. She sells to mages and often buys her wares from adventurers who acquire as the spoils of their adventuring - dragon blood, wyvern scales, and manticore spikes, for example.
• Somidorr Danthan (NE hem T12), a dangerous character who has become very rich by shrewd smuggling decisions, and wishes to increase his personal power by acquiring useful magical items from anyone who happens within his reach, by any means necessary.

Important Features in Town: Visitors to Tantras often remark on its crowded, busy harbor - not for the activity, which can be found in many port cities all over Faerun, but for the many cranes used in loading and unloading. Installed by the local temple of Gond, which collects a copper piece for each cargo-load lifted by them, these innovations (also found in several other places in the Realms, such as Baldur's Gate and nearby Scardale) enable Tantras to handle a high volume of freight in a short time. This ability, coupled with the strict policing of the harbor and the high security of its defenses - and the contrasting tolerance of merchant needs and ways that governs the city - has made Tantras a more popular port than other nearby ports offering access to the Vast.

Tantras is a prosperous city, from its grand nobles' houses to the well-kept cottages of shopkeepers and laborers. Its shops offer fine wines and a good variety of curios and hard-to-obtain gear; establishments are more fully detailed in module *FRE2.

The widespread damage from the Time of Troubles has been almost entirely repaired (the only evidence left is that many of the city's trees are small, newly-planted saplings), but a large area of the northern city and beyond remains magic dead, the ground burned and blasted down to bare rock. Spellcasters will feel dazed merely upon entering the area. Diligent work by the restored Torm has made magic work again within most areas of the city itself. However, the magic-dead regions within the city walls and without are now being settled by those individuals who would prefer to not be affected by opponent's magic, and the foundations are being laid for several large towers north of the city.

Local Lore: The heraldic arms of the city are a silver curling wave (breaker) surmounted by three silver stars, on a field of royal blue.

Tantras is a wealthy and proud city, still vigorous and active, rather than decadent or set in its ways. Dominated by the worship of Torm and the entrepreneurial diligence of its merchant families (in particular, the established noble families who have been leading citizens of the city for four generations or more), Tantras is a place of bustling industry, to which farmers and craftsmen of the Vast bring their wares for sale to far-off lands of Faerun via the ships that come here.

Key: Tantras Harbor (ballista batteries and chain-boom barrier guard entrance, cranes within facilitate loading and unloading) The Sea Tower (main fortress, armories, troop training area) The Market (open-air marketplace) The Temple of Torm's Coming (atop the city's highest hill) The Great Bell (atop hill) Fountain of the Mermaid (local landmark)

Yet another of the Vast's "sister cities," Tantras is the Ravens Bluff's dark twin-at least to hear the Ravenians tell the story; the Tantrans tell it somewhat differently. This walled city suffered greatly during the Time of Troubles, when its patron god, Torm, actually manifested himself in gigantic avatar form and fell in battle defending the city from the evil god Bane (destroying a good portion of it in his fall). The resultant dead magic zone was initially viewed as a disaster but has since come to be considered an unusual resource from which the city can benefit. Those who have something to fear from wizards find it a place of refuge, and many who have angered the Zhentarim or the Red Wizards of Thay flee here and use the Zone (as it's called) as a bolt-hole. It's also a useful meeting place for those who want to make sure that neither side seeks to gain some sort of magical advantage.

Given Torm's spectacular defense of Tantras, it's not surprising that the Tormite faith still dominates the rebuilt city. The Temple of Torm's Coming is overseen by High Priest Barriltar Bhandraddon (LG hm P19), with the assistance of no less than forty-nine underpriests and -priestesses. Torm's influence is so great that Bhandraddon holds a seat on the High Council of local merchant families that govern the city. The Tantran government is less restrictive than the one in Ravens Bluff, concerned mostly in setting tariffs and regulating trade; how people act outside of business hours is largely their own concern. An effective Thieves Guild, the Grayclaws, brings together thieves and smugglers to prey upon incautious newcomers and native Tantrans alike who have gotten too smug, rich, or unscrupulous (in fact, it's very like the Four Ravens Thieves Guild that once operated in Ravens Bluff decades ago). The Grayclaws make sure their members do nor draw too much attention or make too many enemies. Like many a Thieves Guild, they are loyal to their city, having defended Tantras at one time or another from the Red Wizards, Zhentarim, slavers, the Harpers, and the Cult of the Dragon.

In addition to the dominate Tormite church, there are also major temples to Tempus Lord of Battles, Lathander Morninglord, Gond the Wonderbringer, Selûne the Moonmaiden, Milil Lord of Song, and Tymora the Luckbringer, all served by priests or priestesses of at least 13th level. Smaller shrines to evil deities like Loviatar, Umberlee, and Cyric also thrive here, if somewhat less openly.

Like Ravens Bluff, Tantras was recently threatened by a humanoid army led by Warlord Myrkyssa Jelan. Unlike its sister city, however, Tantras came to some agreement with Myrkyssa and so avoided a brutal battle such as the Bluff suffered. Exactly how the High Council, or its representatives, managed to convince the Warlord to depart without attacking is unknown, though the powers that be in Ravens Bluff would certainly like to find out - it might be useful, if Myrkyssa someday returns to resume her campaign against their fair city . . .